Loose leaf binder



June 9, 1959 I J. B. MILES 2,889,831

1 LOOSE LEAF BINDER Fi led March 11, 1957 AME/7oz. JAMEJ B. Muss UnitedStates Patent 0.

LOOSE LEAF BINDER James B. Miles, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application March 11, 1957, Serial No. 645,087 a 1 Claim. (Cl. 129--1)This invention relates to paper binders, and more particularly to animproved loose-leaf binder for removably holding sheets of paper.

In various applications, and particularly in accounting practices, it isdesirable to use a form of binder in which sheets of paper or preparedforms may be inserted which allows the forms to be written upon overtheir complete length' and width. For example, in various accountingpractices a number of forms are contained for the accounting period in atemporary binder and then removed and placed in a permanent file. Whilecontained in the temporary binder entries are continuously made. Sincesome accounting forms are columnar with the col- 'umns extending verynear to the inner edge of the form when bound, it is necessary to writelegibly near the center or folding portion of the binders. The binderspresently known to the art, such as ring type binders, presentdifiiculties in writing near this portion of the binder since theypresent a raised or uneven surface. In addition, when writing upon thereverse side of a sheet the rings interfere with writing near the inneredge of aring type binder and an uneven surface is presented at theinner edge of the reverse side in other binders presently known to theart.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide animproved loose-leaf binder which presents an even writing surface oversubstantially the entire area of the paper mounted within the binder. Itis another object of the present invention to provide an improvedloose-leaf binder which allows rapid insertion and removal of the papermounted within the binder.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improvedloose-leaf binder which provides an even unobstructed writing surfacenear the inner mounting edge of the paper for use with columnar sheetsmounted within the binder.

The present invention is an improved loose-leaf binder having inwardlyfolded holding surfaces between which the paper to be mounted is held bybendable fasteners inserted through the holding surfaces and matingperforations in the paper. Flattening members are pivotally mounted uponthe back cover of the binder to engage one of the holding surfaces andretain it in a fully folded position in contact with the inner surfaceof the back cover to provide a flat writing surface when the binder isin an open or partially open position.

The novel features which are believed to be characteristic of theinvention, both as to its organization and method of operation, togetherwith further objects and advantages thereof, will be better understoodfrom the following description considered in connection with theaccompanying drawing in which a presently preferred embodiment of theinvention is illustrated by way of example. It is to be expresslyunderstood, however, that the drawing is for the purpose of illustrationand description only and is not intended as a definition of the limitsof the invention.

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of a presently preferred embodiment ofthe present invention showing the binder with sheets inserted;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged partial view in perspective of the fastening andflattening means of thepresent invention in non-assembled condition;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged partial view of the binder taken along 1ine 3-3 ofFig. 1 with the binder fully assernbled and openedji Fig.4 is a viewcorresponding to Fig. 3 with the binder in the partially'assembled butunfastened condition; Fig. 5 is a viewcorrespondin-g to'Fig. 2"ofan'alten native embodiment of the present invention; I and Fig..6 is aview corresponding to'Fig. 5 with the flattening member moved to thenon-engaging position.

Referring to the drawing, and particularly to Figs. 1 and,2, the binderof the present invention comprises a front cover 10 and back cover 11 ofrigid 'or semi-rigid material. In the presently preferredembodimentsemirigid pressed cardboard of the type well known to the artis .usual. The front and back-covers 10, 11 are folded inward proximatethe inner edge along folding lines 15 and 16 to form a front holdingsurface 17 and back holding surface 18. :In. the. preferred embodiment aflexible reenfo'rcingsurface is afiixed to the front and back covers toallow repeated folding along the folding lines without damage to thesemi-rigid material. In this the front and back holding surfaces atopposed positions of the surfaces 17 and 18.respectiv'e1y,proximatetheinner edge 19, 20.- of each surface. The openings 24,25 arejspa'c'edapartlongitudinally toward. the upper and lower edge 21, 22 of thefrontland back holding sur' faces at a predetermined distance therefrom.

Bendable fasteners 26, mateable with the openings 24, 25 are insertedthrough the openings to engage the papers to be bound and to join thefront and back holding surfaces 17, 18 to assemble the binder. Thefasteners are of the separable type well known to the art, having twolegs which are bent in opposite directions after being inserted throughthe openings to fasten the holding surfaces together with the paper tobe bound held between the inner surfaces by the fasteners. Thus, thepaper to be mounted in the binder has perforations proximate the inneredge and spaced apart by a distance equal to the distance between theopenings 24, 25. Thus, with the papers to be mounted inserted betweenthe inner surfaces of the holding surfaces 17, 18, the fasteners areinserted through the openings 24, 25 of the front holding surface 17,through the perforations in the paper, and thence through the mateableopenings 24, 25 of the back holding surface 18 as shown in Fig. 4. Thelegs of the fasteners are then bent flat against the surface to retainthe front and back covers with the mounted paper in assembled position.

A first flattening member 28 and a second flattening member 29 arepivotally mounted on the back cover, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, topresent a flat writing surface on the mounted papers. That is, a rigidflattening member 28 is pivotally mounted proximate the inner edge ofthe back cover 11 on the inner surface thereof, but spaced from theinner edge 20 of the holding surface 18 and near the upper edge thereof.The flattening member is of suflicient length that when rotated itengages the back holding surface 18 to retain it in contact with theback cover as shown in Fig. 3. Thus, in the presently preferredembodiment shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, first and second rigid plasticmembers 28, 29 are mounted by means of a rivet 30 at a substantialdistance from the inner edge 20 of the back holding surface when theholding surface is folded into contact with the back Patented June 9,1.959:

cover. The length. of the flattening members is greater than thedistance, such that when rotated to the posi tion of Figs. 2 and 3 theyoverlap the holding surface and retain it in contact with the backcover.

. .In use, therefore, the'sheaf. of papers is mounted between-theholding surfaces as described hereinbefore and the flattening membersare rotated to engage and flatten the holding surface 18 in theassembled position of Fig. ,3. The fasteners 26 are positioned withinthe arc of the respective flattening members. 28, 29 to prevent, theirrotation past. the assembled position. Thus, as shown in Fig. 3 whenfully assembled a flat Writing surface is provided for writing upon thefront side of each mounted sheet. The sheet is. then folded sharply overthe inner edge 19 of the front holding surface 17 to allow'rwriting uponthe flat surface of the back side of each sheet. The writing surface isflat and usable to the extreme inner 'edge of bothsides of the paper.

Referring now to Figs. and 6, an alternative embodiment of the presentinvention is shown wherein the flattening members 32 are mounted uponthe back cover 11, as described hereinbefore, to engage the back holdingsurface 18-. In the alternative embodiment the flattening, membercomprises a rigid U-clamp pivotally mounted with legs of the U on bothsides of the back cover. The U-shaped member is suificiently spacedbetween legs to allow opposite surfaces to engage both the back coverand holding surface 18 to retain them in folded contact as shown in Fig.5. That is, with the paper mounted as described hereinbefore theflattening members 32 are rotated such that one leg of the U engages theouter surface of the back. cover 11, while the other leg engages theholding surface '18.

. Thus, the present invention provides an improved loose-leaf binderwhich presents an unobstructed flat writing surface over substantiallythe entire writing area of both sides of the paper mounted within thebinder. The loose-leaf binder in accordance with the present in- 4vention is particularly useful in connection with columnar ruled paperand allows. rapid insertion and removal of the paper mounted in thebinder.

What is claimed is:

An improved loose leaf binder comprising a front cover and a back cover,said front and back covers being folded inwardly along folding lines toform a front holding member and a back holding member between saidcovers, said folding lines being the inner edge of said covers, papertobe bound being positioned between the holding surface of said holdingmembers away from said covers in the folded position, said coversoutwardly of said folding lines being at least equal to the area andconfiguration of said paper to be bound, removable means for retainingsaid surfaces in mating engagement with said paper therebetween, and apair of retaining members, each of said retaining members comprising asubstantially rectangular planar member of rigid material, one of saidretaining members being rotatably aflixed to said back cover proximatesaid back holding member and proximate the lower edge of said backcover, the other of said retaining members being rotatably aflixed tosaid back cover proximate said back holding member and proximate theupper edge of said back member, each of said members being rotatable toa retaining position whereby said retaining members overlap said backholding member to retain said holding member in substantially fullyfolded position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS964,189 Smith July 12, 1910 1,536,930 Ringler May 5, 1925 2,480,917Goldman Sept. 6, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS 7,364 Great Britain Aug. 11, 189424,535 Sweden Apr. 18, 1908

